Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin Northeast) approved $1,919,725 in investments during the third quarter of fiscal year 2026.

The investments will support 11 companies (seven early-stage companies and four established manufacturers), fostering innovative product development, workforce expansion and operational growth in the region.

According to a Ben Franklin Northeast March 25 press release, $1,810,000 in investments will be made to the following early-stage companies:

AAYUNA, Inc., Lehigh County - AAYUNA develops optical interconnect technology for AI infrastructure using passive silicon photonics. The company focuses on solutions for data-intensive computing. The project was financed in part from Pennsylvania Small Business Credit Initiative funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development. www.aayuna.com

GYBE Inc., aka Folio, Northampton County - Folio is a professional profile and booking platform that functions similar to an online business card with built-in scheduling and analytics. Users can create a public profile, share it by link or QR code, sync calendars, accept bookings and track engagement. www.MeetFOLIO.com

Hyrding LLC, Northampton County - Hyrding is a software company developing AI-powered tools to help life sciences organizations draft, review and manage regulatory submission content more efficiently. www.hyrding.com/

Live Link Entertainment LLC, Northampton County - LiveLink provides a social scheduling and promotion platform for event-driven venues such as bars, breweries and music venues. It helps teams turn event calendars into branded posts published on social media and Google Business Profile, while also offering analytics and reusable performer libraries. www.livelink.events

NSV Inc., Lehigh County - NSV develops AI-guided diagnostic technology focused on detecting and diagnosing disease earlier and more precisely. Its platform emphasizes configurable digital workflows and more objective clinical decision support. The project was financed in part from Pennsylvania Small Business Credit Initiative funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development. www.nsv.ai

TechA11y, Lackawanna County - TechA11y offers an AI-powered web accessibility compliance platform that combines audits, remediation and ongoing monitoring. Its product is designed to help organizations accelerate WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and maintain accessibility. https://techa11y.dev/

Verne, Inc., Lycoming County - Verne builds and operates behind-the-meter power generation systems designed to deliver rapid, reliable, firm power for industrial users. The company positions its solution as a clean, affordable pathway for customers facing grid bottlenecks and growing power demand. This project was financed in part from Pennsylvania Small Business Credit Initiative funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development. www.verneh2.com

Also, the press release stated that $109,725 in investments will be made to the following established manufacturers, incorporating student enrichment work with a college or university partner:

American Millwork and Cabinetry, Inc., Lehigh County - American Millwork & Cabinetry manufactures and installs custom architectural millwork, cabinetry and related casework. The firm supports commercial and institutional environments with tailored build-outs and finish solutions.

www.amcmillwork.com

Interstate Building Materials (Interstate Window & Door Co., Luzerne County - Interstate manufactures energy-efficient windows and doors for residential, commercial and specialty projects. The company emphasizes high-quality vinyl and CompositWood products, including for historical restoration and custom commercial applications. www.interstatebldg.com

Reading Truck Body, Inc., Berks County - Reading Truck manufactures, up-fits and services vocational work truck bodies, equipment and commercial truck solutions. It provides service bodies, enclosed bodies, crane bodies, dump and landscape bodies, plus fleet solutions and maintenance support. www.readingbody.com

Strong Industries, Inc., Northumberland County - Strong Spas designs and manufactures hot tubs and spa products, with a focus on energy efficiency, hydrotherapy and durable construction. The company sells spa parts and accessories and highlights its Pennsylvania manufacturing operation and global distribution footprint. www.strongspas.com

About Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (Ben Franklin Northeast) is an economic development organization that provides investment capital and business support to startups, manufacturers and business incubators in 21 counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners, a network is four independent nonprofit organizations in Bethlehem, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and State College, is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and is funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority.

Information: nep.benfranklin.org